David Blyer is the Co-Founder, CEO, and President of Arreva, a leading provider of fundraising and donor relationship management software for nonprofits. With over three decades in the industry, he’s passionate about helping organizations strengthen donor engagement through technology and innovation.

He previously founded DonorCommunity, the first all-in-one fundraising software for nonprofits, and co-founded Arreva through a merger with Susan Packard Orr’s company, Telosa. Earlier in his career, David led Vento Software, later acquired by SPSS and IBM. He also serves on NonProfit PRO’s Editorial Advisory Board.

Key Takeaways:

• Donor acquisition and retention decline not because people stop caring—but because organizations often fail to acknowledge and engage donors quickly and personally.
• Fragmented systems hurt relationships. When fundraising, events, and CRM data don’t “talk” to each other, nonprofits lose time, insight, and donor trust.
• Integration and automation empower nonprofits to respond faster, personalize communication, and strengthen long-term loyalty.
• Timely gratitude matters: reaching out within 48–72 hours after an event or donation dramatically increases donor satisfaction and retention.
• Peer-to-peer fundraising, when integrated into a nonprofit’s ecosystem (unlike GoFundMe), helps acquire new donors, foster engagement, and turn supporters into ambassadors.
• A donor-centric website and seamless online giving experience—especially mobile-friendly—serve as the foundation of modern fundraising success.

"I can honestly say I'm so proud of the team that I have. I've never had the opportunity to work with a collective team like this and and be so proud of them every single day."

"When you're a nonprofit, I caution you do not use GoFundMe, because I'll tell you why, what you want to have, and I go back to software you want to have a pit. I'll call it, as opposed to a GoFundMe. I look at that as what I will call the peer to peer fundraising."

"But my challenge has always been and now I'm very frustrated that my last tribute gift and I just gave another one, but my last tribute gift, it's been four months. I didn't get any acknowledgement that the person I gave a tribute gift to...was acknowledged."

"61% of donors worldwide prefer giving online. So if you're giving your volunteers, if you're giving your board members, maybe even your active donors, the ability to send something out online, there's a better chance of them raising more money and an easier way of doing this."

- David Blyer

Reach out to David Blyer at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arreva/

Website (Company): https://www.arreva.com/

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

Key Takeaways:

• True leadership often means loosening your grip. You cannot force outcomes, timelines, or people, but you can release and lead with trust. Surrender opens space for wisdom and growth.
• Surrender is not weakness but strength in disguise. Rest becomes a strategic act when we allow it to restore us. In slowing down, we sharpen clarity and courage.
• Perfection and rigid plans weigh leaders down. Balance is found in the natural rhythm of effort and rest. Honoring both flow and pause leads to sustainable impact.
• Leadership is not a solo journey but a shared one. Trusting your team and support network empowers them to rise higher. In giving space, you multiply strength together.

“Surrender isn't weakness. It's wisdom. Choosing rest is a strategic decision.”

“Let go of perfection and timelines. Whatever you missed happened anyway. It's all okay, nothing's going to pass you by.”

“Balance comes from rhythm, not rigidity. Leadership is expansion and contraction. Go with the flow… honoring the rest as much as the pushes, honoring the ebb and the flow.”

- Maryanne Dersch

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

A Canadian direct response strategist, designer, and author with over 25 years of experience. He champions donor-centered approaches that prioritize authenticity and emotional connection. His 2022 book, Creative Deviations, has inspired fundraisers worldwide to embrace creativity in storytelling and communication. John brings warmth, insight, and a human-first philosophy to every stage. Empowering fundraisers to build more meaningful donor relationships.

Key Takeaways:

• Donor relationships thrive when leaders allow open, honest dialogue rooted in empathy. Vulnerability invites trust, making it easier for supporters to share openly and feel truly heard.
• Engagement comes not from polished presentations but from being human. Dropping the “professional bubble wrap” allows values-driven conversations that foster deeper bonds.
• Direct mail and appeals work best when they feel one-to-one, conversational, and emotionally compelling. Donors respond when a message feels like it was written just for them.
• Great fundraising relies on trusting experienced people and never losing vulnerability. Staying passionate and authentic ensures both donors and leaders stay connected to the deeper “why.”

“We’re being emotional. We’re connecting with each other as humans. That’s how we create engagement with donors. … Not by me showing up a suit and tie and in a big desk with gold stuff around me.”

“The more mail looks personal and looks like I sent it to you, the better it performs all the time…”

“We want donors feeling something. It’s the emotions that make us take action. And it can be joy, it can be anger, it can be sadness, whatever it is.”

- John Lepp

Reach out to John Lepp at:

LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/johnlepp

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnlepp_aog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AgentsofGood/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/agentsofgood

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

Key Takeaways:

• Go through a seamless process with the donor; don’t go from unaware to action. Create a replicable, consistent donor experience through these stages of relationship building: awareness, interest, connection, and action.
• Build relationships with donors through direct communication, creating content that provides value to others, rather than simply bragging about one's own accomplishments. Identify your areas of expertise and share them with others in a way that is informative, entertaining, or emotionally resonant.
• Personalized invitations create deeper connections with potential donors, and so does creating trust through smooth processes and acting in donors' best interests. Be a value to others in every interaction.
• Set up nurture sequences before and after events in order to engage attendees. Connect with the attendees and understand their needs, and build relationships with them by reaching out and listening to their values and interests. Don’t neglect follow-up.

“A lot of times, what I see is people go from unaware to action. We have to create an experience. It's like courting or dating, where you're enrolling someone slowly. And you're allowing them to move through this experience at their own pace.”

“They have to know you to like you, like you to love you, or trust you enough to give, to act.”

“What gets smiles on screens and souls on seats is a personal invitation.”

- Maryanne Dersch

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

Matt Nash is the executive director of The Blackbaud Giving Fund, leading the organization’s mission to unleash generosity by connecting people to causes they care about worldwide. An experienced executive with a focus on customer relationships and an expert in donor-advised funds and philanthropy, Matt previously served as the executive director of the Generosity Commission Working Group.

Key Takeaways:

• The upcoming Individual Contribution Deduction (starting 2026) allows $1,000–$2,000 deductions even without itemizing. This is a game-changer for mid-level donors and nonprofits. High net worth donors, meanwhile, are expected to give more this year before new caps take effect.
• Building trust requires proactive communication—help donors understand new deductions, be transparent about challenges, and highlight impact. Clear stewardship can inspire donors to give more, not less, during times of change.
• Companies are becoming more selective, prioritizing alignment with their values. Nonprofits that provide high-quality volunteer opportunities and keep corporate giving platform profiles updated will stand out. Mid-size and local companies, often overlooked, are especially valuable.
• Tracking foundation, government, and donor-advised fund trends helps nonprofits anticipate risks and opportunities. Using available data to identify potential DAF holders and maintain strong funder relationships ensures resilience.

“The key is stewardship of these donors, and helping them know this deduction is available, allowing them to amplify their giving.”

“If you have big funders, watch how they're using their resources; it might be a negative cause to you moving forward.”

“If you are working with a corporation, make sure your volunteer effort works great, it creates an aura among employees: ‘What a fantastic organization.”

- Matt Nash

Reach out to Matt Nash at:

Website: https://blackbaudgivingfund.org/

Blog: https://blackbaudgivingfund.org/blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackbaudGivingFund/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackbaudgivingfund/

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/the-blackbaud-giving-fund

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

Jen Recla is a leadership coach, facilitator, and adventure-seeker who helps leaders navigate their workload, build team trust, and lead with clarity, even when demands are high and resources are thin. With 15+ years in leadership, coaching, and organizational development, she brings a practical yet energizing approach to helping mission-driven leaders feel more capable and connected in their work.

Key Takeaways:

• Community building strengthens both personal and professional life, creating resilience and collaboration that support growth.
• Sustainable achievement requires focusing on priorities, setting boundaries, and celebrating gains rather than chasing endless tasks.
• Feedback cultures thrive on psychological safety, with leaders modeling behaviors that shape healthy and sustainable team norms.
• Core values such as fun, adventure, and growth provide direction, energize leadership, and create authentic, purpose-driven work.

“Some of the signs [of burnout] that I've seen with individuals really are dependent on who they are. So I think getting to know people, getting to know what makes them tick, what strengths they have, has been really helpful in my position as a leader in the past, and as a coach now as well.”

“We focused on what the gains are… individually, for your team, for the organization - so that they could really see the progress and momentum that they've made. It’s a way to pull people out of the downward spiral and really focus on the momentum and continuing to build that momentum.”

“The starting place is really to take a step back, zoom out, and focus on what's important to you, what's your purpose, what's driving you? What are your values? What are your goals?”

- Jen Recla

Reach out to Jen Recla at:

Website: www.jenrecla.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferrecla

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

Key Takeaways:

• Effective change management begins with acknowledging and inventorying concerns rather than dismissing them.
• Benefits should be clearly articulated and emphasized in order to outweigh perceived risks.
• Aligning proposed benefits with shared organizational values strengthens collective buy-in.
• Identifying the tipping point, where benefits surpass concerns, creates momentum for meaningful change.

“The first thing we do is acknowledge the fear. We inventory the concerns. We do not deflect, dismiss, deny.”

“Stack the benefits, transform your positives, transform the positives, and to tip the sale.”

“Identify the tipping point where the benefits clearly outweigh the concerns.”

- Maryanne Dersch

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

Key Takeaways:

• Change unfolds in stages, and readiness cannot be forced. Recognizing that change follows a psychological process helps set realistic expectations. People move through stages at their own pace, and you cannot make yourself—or someone else—be ready before the time comes.
• Meet people where they are, not where you want them to be. Effective support means accepting others for who they are and approaching them with patience rather than trying to pull them ahead in their journey.
• Tailor your approach to each stage of change. Not everyone is in the same place, so it’s essential to assess readiness and match your strategy accordingly. Small, incremental “micro-asks” can help move people forward.
• Setbacks are part of the process, and relationships drive lasting change. Relapse is normal and should be seen as a learning moment, not a failure. Real transformation grows out of relationships built on trust, not transactional interactions.

“You will know when it’s time. You can’t make yourself be ready.”

“Don’t assume everyone is in the same stage. You have to assess first... and match your approach to their stage.”

“Change is a relationship. It’s not a transaction.”

- Maryanne Dersch

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker